Gender Equity and what it means in practice

1. Gender Equity and what it means in practice 29 April 2011 Nairobi, Kenya

2. Learning Objectives • Gain knowledge of key gender terminology • Understand how gender equity is relevant to your work and critical to the success of programmes • Understand how to move from a gender policy to gender practice • Build on PCM skills to mainstream gender approaches in projects • Know the key stages of undertaking a gender impact assessment of projects • Introduce how gender-sensitive indicators are developed and how to make them context-specific • Identify creative ways to support partner organisations with gender sensitisation • Identify future opportunities to build a gender perspective in to your work

3. Sex is The biological differences between men and women Is the same everywhere in the world Gender is Attributes, roles and activities connected to being a woman or a man How women and men are perceived and how they are expected to behave Different according to time, place and culture

4. Key gender concepts Gender-related needs Gender equity Mainstreaming Gender analysis Empowerment Gender equality Gender relations Sex-disaggregated data

5. Which project is gender mainstreamed… Providing a refuge for women escaping violence Providing income-generation opportunities for a village community A leadership training programme, with a crèche facility Supporting single fathers with child care

6. Why is gender equity important? • It is a question of justice or basic rights • Being aware of the different needs and concerns of men and women, and acting on this awareness, means that we can address poverty more effectively. • If we just assume that our work will benefit men and women equally, we will reflect and probably reinforce the imbalances that exist

7. Why bother with gender? • In life and death situations, isn’t the question of gender equality a luxury? • Gender equality is about ensuring that the protection and assistance provided in emergencies is planned and implemented in a way that benefits women and men equally, taking into account an analysis of their needs as well as their capacities. • Helps to achieve sustainable development. If interventions are not planned with gender equality in mind, not only do the chances of doing greater harm increase, but the opportunity to support and promote equality in livelihoods between women and men can be lost

8. Gender differences and inequalities shape the way that decisions get made, resources get allocated, and people interact with the world

9. Women’s needs can be… Practical • Immediate perceived needs, e.g. for better living conditions, improved health services, water, food ad education Strategic • Gender imbalances in power relations, such as those related to labour, legal rights, domestic violence, access and control, e.g. the fact that women have to look after their children affects their capacity to earn income

10. “Men and their rights and nothing more, women and their rights and nothing less.” UN Women slogan

11. “How can you hope to overcome poverty by only working with 50% of the world’s population?” Kofi Annan

12. The human rights of women, girls, boys and men are equally promoted and protected and gender equality is achieved Gender equity programming THE GOAL STRATEGIES & PROGRAMMES Gender mainstreaming Targeted actions based on gender analysis A gender analysis informs programme planning, implementation and evaluation Programmes to empower women and girls Human rights-based approach to programming Gender-based violence programming Sexual exploitation and abuse programming Gender balance in humanitarian agencies THE BASIS

13. Framework for gender equality programming A D A P T nalyse gender differences esign services to meet the needs of all ccess for women, men, girls and boys articipate equally rain women and men equally

14. Framework for gender equality programming A C T C ddress GBV in sector programmes ollect, analyse & report sex- and age-disaggregated data arget actions based on gender analysis oordinate actions with all partners ADAPT and ACT Collectively to ensure gender equality

15. Gender Issues in the Project Cycle What questions should be asked at each stage of the project cycle to ensure gender issues are considered in planning? Identification Evaluation Planning & Design Implementation & Monitoring Adapted from: www.unifempacific.com/resources/publications/considerations/g_considerations.htm

16. Critical points for gender equality mainstreaming in the project cycle • Is the project design based on a real understanding of the needs of men and women? • Look at the planned results. Are they really what the male and female stakeholders need? • Look at the daily life of the community. Look at who is using their time, labour, and resources. Which groups are in the most disadvantaged position? Why? How will the project make things better? • How will the project contribute to the empowerment of men and women in the sector it deals with? • Check that at all stages of the project cycle, any data collected is broken down into data related to women and data related to men – that is, gender disaggregated data.

17. Gender analysis allows you to understand who in the population is affected by the crisis; what they need; and what they can do for themselves.

18. Gender analysis steps (1) • Ask the questions • Seek to find out the differences in experience for women, girls, men and boys. • Put women, girls, men and boys at the centre of your assessment • Start with the smallest unit (HH), understand how each family member participates, their role and what needs to improve • Understand the cultural context • Cultural understandings of roles, HH head not always powerful • Coordinate and cooperate • Involvement of all field workers to ask how situation affects women and men differently; actors share and communicate information about gender differences to ensure progs well coordinated

19. Gender analysis steps (2) • Don’t make assumptions • Which women? Which men? • Consult affected population • Systematic consultations, separately and in mixed groups • Who are representative leaders? • Sex-disaggregated data • Analysis to action • Use info gathered to inform programmes • Specific initiatives targeting particular populations • Assess and adjust • People’s protection needs and risks change • Regular consultations needed to be able to adjust to meet needs of the people

20. Gender analysis – basic questions • Who does what? • Who has what? • Who decides what? • Who gains? Who loses? • Who has access to and control over resources, knowledge and decision-making? • Who has the means, skills and opportunities?

21. Assessing impact on gender equality Criteria 1: Impact on lives of poor women, men, girls and boys Criteria 2: Changes in policies, practices, ideas and beliefs Criteria 3: Beneficiary involvement in the project Criteria 4: Likely sustainability of changes • What are the different ways in which the project has impacted on the lives of women, girls, men and boys? • How have gender relations been affected?

22. Which category does the project fall into? • Gender blind i.e. the project fails to distinguish between women and men’s interests, reinforced existing gender relations, and did not support the full and active participation of women. • Gender aware i.e. the project used knowledge of gender differences in the local context to target and meet the practical needs of both women and men, but did not attempt to change existing gender relations. • Gender redistributive i.e. the project aimed to transform the existing distribution of resources ad responsibilities in order to create a more equal relationship between women and men. The focus was on strategic gender interests, although practical gender needs which had transformatory potential (providing a supportive environment for women’s empowerment) could also have been addressed.

23. Gender at work: What are we trying to change?

24. Different types of indicators

25. Purpose of indicators Tracking the degree to which, and in what way, changes take place over a time. E.g. changes in the relations between men and women, changes in outcomes of a particular policy, programme or activity for men and women, or changes in the status or situation of men and women with regard to a particular issue such as levels of poverty or political participation.

26. Disaggregate data by age and sex Sample activity: Sex- and age-disaggregated data on programme coverage are collected on a regular basis Sample indicator: 100% livelihood programme quarterly reports in 2004 are based on sex- and age-disaggregated data

27. Criteria for setting clear indicators 1. Explicitness: Objectives should explicitly state intended results, and not just refer to resources to be used and activities to be performed. 2. Clarity and precision: Terms and concepts that are used should be clearly defined, and its meaning agreed upon by all stakeholders. 3. Feasibility or realism: Realistic objectives should be established, which take account of available resources, the external environment, as well as actual and potential constraints, obstacles, risks and enabling factors. 4. Measurability and verifiability: Indicators must allow verification of the achievements 5. Time-frames: Indicators should include realistic deadlines, time-frames (or even specific dates)

28. Working with partners on gender equity 1. Why do partners orgs need to integrate gender into their work? 2. Identify methods that can be used to raise partner awareness on gender equity? 3. What challenges/ problems do you expect to face when engaging a partner on gender equity?

29. What will you DO differently? • Does your own work and behaviour help to promote gender equality? • What changes need to be made in terms of organisational culture to enable gender-sensitive programme management? • What changes need to be made in terms of systems to facilitate gender-sensitive programme management?

30. Thank you! Spartaca Chevannes-Reeves 0733611552 spartacacr@hotmail.com Skype: spartie1